Osmond scores 55th-minute goal, North Alabama drops Valdosta St. 1-0

PENSACOLA, Fla. -- North Alabama earned a hard-fought 1-0 victory against Valdosta State on Friday to advance to the second round of the NCAA tournament. UNA will now face West Florida on Sunday in the regional semifinal.

Playing in the NCAA tournament for a fourth consecutive season, UNA got a goal in the 55th minute to break a scoreless tie against Valdosta State. A shot by Melanie Leonida was blocked, but Jennifer Osmond was there to play the deflection back into the net and give UNA a 1-0 lead. It was Osmond’s 10th goal of the season and the 36th of her career.

UNA freshman goalkeeper Morgan Grace had five saves to preserve the shutout and win. The Lions outshot Valdosta State 17-14.

UNA improved its record to 13-5-1, while Valdosta State fell to 14-4-2.

The win was the second NCAA postseason win for the Lions. UNA defeated Florida Southern 3-2 in the first round of the 2009 South Regional before falling to West Florida in the semifinal.